Ratchet mechanism



E. W. BULLARD.

RATCHET MECHANISM;

APPLICATION FILED 1AN. 25, 1922.

mmm@ f Patented May 16, 1922.

liEilftfttPi- EDWIN W. BULLARD, OE VIHPLNEYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, .@.SSG-NGR T0 THE PEUX, STOW @c VIILCOX COMPANY, OF SOUTEIINGTN, CO1\TNECJC'UT, A CORPORATION.

naacriifr MECHANISM.

To all 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that l EDWIN lil. BULLARD a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at 'l'llhitneyvilla in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, vhave invented a new and useful improvement in Ratchet Mechanisms; and l do hereby declare the following, vvhen taken in connection With the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and Which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in-

Fig. 1, a broken vieiv -in side elevation of a bit-brace embodying my improved ratchetmechanism, the bow of the brace being broken away. f N

Fig. 2, a plan view thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3, a vievv thereof in central vertical section, with the rotatable pavvl in its locking position. v

Fig. 4, a View thereof in horizontal section, with the pavvl in its' clockwise-drive position.

Fig. 5, a vievv corresponding to Figure 3, but with the paWl shown as in Figure 4.

Fig. 6, a view in horizontal section, With the paWl in its counter-clockWise-drive position.

Fig. 7, a view in vertical section, with the pavvl in its counter-clockwise-drive position.

Fig. 8, a detached edge view of 'the rotatable pavvl.

Fig. 9, a vievv thereof in side elevation.

My invention relates to an improved ratchet-mechanism for bit-braces, ratchet- Wrenches, ratchet-drills, etc., the object being to produce a simple, eii'icient, convenient, strong and durable mechanism constructed With particular reference to economy of manufacture and convenience in use.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a ratchet-mechanism having a rotatable and bodily reciprocatable threepoint paWl mounted upon a sliding ball.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I employ a rotatable and bodily re` ciprocatable pavvl 10 having its edge faced to form three points 11, 12 and 13 arranged in a symmetrical, angular group. These points, so-called, are in effect straight edges adapted to enter the parallel grooves 14 of an ordinary ratchet 15, which is formed in tegral with a chuck-shank 16 and mounted Speccaton of Letters Patent.

tively rotatable.

)Paten-ted May 16, 1922.

application sied January 25, 1922. serial no. 531,537.

in a cylindrical socket 17 having an integral arin 18 offsetting from itat a right` angle. it its upper end the said socket is recessed as at'19 for the reception of a retaining- Washer 20 receiving a screv7 21 entering the ratchet vfor the retention thereof inY the socket, the ratchet and socket being relay The points 11 and 13 of the paivl 10 are beveled in opposite directions, so as to provide for the free clockwise or counter-clockwise ratcheting of the socket upon the ratchet, or vice versa, While the point 12, interposed between the points 11 and 13, is left square, so as to couple the socket and ratchet solidly together for their rotation together in both directions.

As shown, the parvl 10 is' installed in a longitudinal slot 22 formed -in the inner end of the arm 18 and intersecting the interior of the socket 17, the said pavvl being enough larger in diameter than the arm 18 to provide for its projection from the upper end of the slot 22, Which extends radially through the said arm, the unfaced edge 23 of the pavvl being knurled so as to be readily engaged by the thumb and forenger of the hand ofthe user for the rotation of the pavvl. l'

The said slot 22 intersects at a right angle the inner end of the axial bore 24 in the arm 18, this bore providing for the reception and sliding bearing of a ball 25 forming the pivot on which the pavvl' 10 turns and with which it moves back and forth in line With the axis of the arm and hence toward and away from the ratchet 15. The said ball 25 substantially corresponds in diameter to the diameter of the said bore and is located Within a central, circular bearing-opening 10a, also of substantially the same diameter, in the said paivl, Which rides back and forth in the said bore with the said ball and is free to turn thereupon'. The outer end of the bore 24 receives the inner end of the bottT 26, Which closes it and Which is held in place by a taper pin 27 providing also an abutment for the inner end of a helical pavvl spring 28 located in a socket 29 in the inner end of the bow 26, the outer end of the said spring abutting on an anti-friction ball 30 engaged by the knurled edge of the pavvl 10 as the same is turned in one direction or the other.

Under the construction shown and described, the projecting upper edge of the pavvl is conveniently engaged by the thumb and forenger of the user for turning it into any one of its three functioning positions. Thus, when turned into the position shown by Figures l, 2 and 3, the locking point 12 of the pawl enters one of the grooves la of the ratchet and solidly couples the same and the socket together, so as to compel them to rotate as one structure in either direction when the socket is swung by its arm 18. On the other hand, if the pawl is rotated so as to enter its point l1 into one of the grooves 14;, as shown in Figures land 5, the ratchet and socket, and, therefore, thc chuck shank, are coupled for clockwise-drive and counter-clockwise ratcheting, while, when the pawl is turned to bring its point 13 into play, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the socket and ratchet are coupled for counter-clockwise-drive and clockwise ratcheting.

rlhe manipulation of the pawl by the thumb and forefingers of the user to bring it into these three positions is very easily effected. Moreover, on account of mounting the pawl upon a ball, which is my preferred construction, my improved mechanism is guarded against binding in case of slight inaccuracies of manufacture or slight deformations in use, since the pawl is free to readjust itself upon the ball as it would not be upon an ordinary pivot.

I claim:

ln a ratchet mechanism, the combination with a chambered socket provided with an arm. having an axial bore extending throughout its length, and a radial slot intersecting the said bore at a right angle thereto; of a ratchet located Within the chamber of the said socket, a rotatable, three-point pawl positioned in the said slot for co-action with the said ratchet and having` a centrally-located, cireular bearing-opening` substantially corresponding in diameter to the diameter of the said axial bore, and a ball tting the said bearing-opening and the said bore, and having` rotary and reciprocatable movement in the latter, whereby the pawl is free to adjust itself upon the said ball, with which it reciprooates in the said bore.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.'

EDTWIN W. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC C. EARLE, MALCOLM P. NICHOLS. 

